Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, especially Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, are navigating the complexities of expanding petrochemical, plastic, and plastic waste recycling industries amidst criticism for being main contributors to marine plastics while suffering from pollution caused by waste imports.
These developing economies must navigate the duality of being both producers and victims of plastic pollution, walking a tightrope between economic aspirations and sustainability.
The ASEAN Declaration on Plastic Circularity acknowledged the growing urgency of addressing the harm of marine plastic debris and pollution on sustainable development. However, the declaration overlooked two factors: first, plastic seriously affects human health, and second, we must reduce primary plastic production and eliminate hazardous chemicals.
Strength Versus Vulnerability
Aside from Singapore, ASEAN countries are caught up in a race to realize their economic potential like the Asian Tigers. By aggressively developing their petrochemical and plastic-related industries, these nations may gain economic strength, but they also become more vulnerable to losses caused by pollution-related diseases and environmental degradation.
And even as plastic offers opportunities, it brings challenges with increasing global scrutiny on production, waste management, and waste exports.
ASEAN Leadership to Balance Economic Growth and Health
ASEAN’s complexities have led to disunity and reduced engagement at the fifth plastic treaty negotiations (INC5) in Busan, South Korea, where civil society was excluded, and rigid “red lines” were drawn.
At a dramatic closing plenary, Rwanda led over 84 countries to declare support for a globally binding treaty covering the entire lifecycle of plastic. Mexico, backed by 94 countries, demanded binding provisions to eliminate harmful plastic products and chemicals of concern.
Meanwhile, “like-minded” oil nations protested production targets in the treaty draft, and insisted it should only cover plastic products and exclude petrochemical extraction and primary polymer production.
At INC5, the Philippines and Thailand revealed some ambition on issues such as production targets and plastic waste export bans. However, Malaysia aligned with the “like-minded countries,” while other ASEAN countries, such as Indonesia, remained inconspicuous.
Health Impacts
The ASEAN plastics market is expected to grow from 30.48 million tons in 2024 to 38.36 million tons by 2029, an annual growth rate of over 4 percent. However, ASEAN must balance economic growth with the imperative to protect public health and the environment.
Since 2020, over 200 microplastic (MP) studies have been conducted in the region. One study indicated that ASEAN people have the highest MP dietary uptake rates in their bodies, mainly from fish.
Over 16,000 chemical additives are used in plastic applications, and more than 4,200 plastic chemicals have been identified as chemicals of concern due to their persistence, bio-accumulation, mobility, and/or toxicity. Plastic chemicals are the leading cause of global male fertility decline and can also cause hormonal imbalances, obesity, and brain development issues.
Recycling contaminated plastic will affect the entire value chain and consumers. High concentrations of cancer-causing plastic chemicals, including PAHs, phthalates, phthalate alternatives, OPFRs, benzotriazole UV stabilizers, phenols, and bisphenols (e.g., BPA), were found in plastic recyclers’ blood.
In Busan, countries proposed a “circular economy,” but this is premised on false claims about plastic recyclability, which have fuelled the overproduction of plastic.
The Costs of Growth
Petrochemical facilities are expanding, and market leaders are merging in ASEAN, aligning with the projected growth in plastic production. The upstream risks of plastic on our economy and health are often overlooked.
Crackers worldwide reportedly have idle capacities, mostly below 75 percent due to aging plants and stiff competition. Thailand’s largest industrial conglomerate suspended its petrochemical plant in Vietnam after a month due to low margins. Lotte Chemical Titan in Malaysia shut down to reduce losses caused by oversupply.
At the same time, communities living around petrochemical plants suffer from devastating effects. In Thailand last year, an explosion at a tank storing by-products of plastic resin caused death, while two workers were killed in another chemical tank explosion.
In Indonesia, repeated chemical and gas leaks from several petrochemical plants last year affected hundreds of people. Further, children living around the petrochemical clusters in Indonesia and Malaysia are found to have multiple disabilities, delayed development, and respiratory diseases due to pollution and heavy metals. Plastic factory fires and explosions are also widespread across Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
An Enlightened Region
Industry ambition to become market leaders in petrochemicals and plastics comes at an immense cost to people, the environment, and the economy. A tsunami of plastic already threatens the stability of Earth’s systems and poses a grave threat to our health and future generations. The costs of plastic, including greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, and pollution, are estimated to be over ten times their market costs. Scientists estimate that plastic-related diseases in the U.S. cost $249 billion.
Reducing plastic production could be economically beneficial, with the cost of inaction significantly higher than that of reducing plastic production.
Science has spoken. ASEAN communities increasingly recognise the need for sustainability, with zero-waste initiatives to reduce plastic consumption, improve waste segregation, and eliminate toxic chemicals.
Working together, ASEAN countries can benefit by developing comprehensive strategies to reduce plastic production and address its environmental and health impacts.
It is time for ASEAN leaders to confront the true cost of plastic, and ensure the region does not become a “paper tiger” or “plastic, chemical-laden dragon.”
This article is adapted from a joint statement released by 17 civil society organisations during INC5 to ASEAN.